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Shakatak’s 30th Anniversary Concert

Shakatak celebrate their 30th Anniversary! "This music still glows as brightly as that first hearing…Shakatak aren’t just a band, they were the soundtrack to our lives" RONNIE SCOTT’S HOUSE MAGAZINE (UK) " A wild diversity seldom found anymore…tons of rhythmic and stylistic variety…slamming" JAZZIZ MAGAZINE (USA

The first 30th anniversary sell ut at High Barn, Gret Bardfield was a huge suucess in a superb venue with incredible accolustics (even Midge Ure said about High Barn "I want one" . The band consists of the four original members Bill Sharpe (keys), Jill Saward (lead voc, perc & flt), Roger Odell (drs) & George Anderson (bs gtr), augmented with Alan Wormald (gtr) and Jacqui Hicks (tenor sax, flute and backuing vocals) producing a musically dynamic and entertaining show from the 6 piece line-up.

All the old (and new) fovourites were there: Nightbirds, Dark is the night, Emotionally Blue and of course Down On The Street. Apart from the superb musicianship, Roger Odell and Jill Saward worked there socks off. Wonderful evening.

In 2009 festival performances have included headlining at the Kutchan Jazz Festival in Japan in July, the Hua Hin Jazz Festival in Thailand in June and the Cape Town International Jazz Festival in April. In recent years the band played two headlining nights at Jakjazz, the Jakarta International Jazz Festival plus an appearance at the Bangkok International Jazz Festival. Shakatak have alsoplayed at the UK’s Wigan International Jazz Festival and the Midsummer Music @ Spencers Jazz Festival. In the past18 months the band have performed concert dates in Russia, Latvia, South Africa, Lithuania and Slovakia plus club dates in the UK and at the prestigious Blue Note, Billboard & Cotton in Japan. In June ’09 Shakatak played a 3 night performance in Sofia, Bulgaria and in July and August ’09the group appeared in Japan at the Tokyo, Osaka & Fukuoka Billboard Live clubs. Throughout their 29 year career Shakatak have released over 50 CDs, 3 DVDs, plus the music book